It’s common sense that eating healthy is essential to being healthy. And yet, for most hard-working citizens making low wages and living in low-income neighborhoods, eating healthy is not an option. Tell the U.S. government to allow healthy food to be available to everyone by subsidizing organic markets in low-income neighborhoods.

For those who believe that people suffering from obesity and other diet-related issues are lazy or uneducated about health, they should take a tour of low-income neighborhoods across the country. While Whole Foods, co-ops and small organic grocery stores abound in neighborhoods where residents earn higher incomes, discount grocery stores, fast food and delis selling processed snacks and sugary drinks are usually the only options available in low-income neighborhoods.

The name “food desert” has been applied to these areas where healthy food options are scarce or nonexistent. Food deserts are most common in low-income, predominately black neighborhoods. They are definitely not found in areas where residents earn high wages. The reason is obvious: healthy food is expensive so there will only be a market for healthy food in neighborhoods where people can afford it. But what this implies is that people who don’t earn a certain amount of money don’t deserve to be healthy.

Most blue collar Americans are finding their wages aren’t rising in proportion to increasing food, housing and other living costs. For the U.S. government to allow this health caste system to continue is negligent, short-sighted and prejudiced. President Obama has made universal healthcare one of his main causes. But in order to keep the peace amongst those who oppose it, he needs to make sure the infrastructure for a healthy society exists.

By allowing low-income neighborhoods to continue supplying residents with no other choices but fast food and food from low quality grocery stores and delis, he is inadvertently going to create astronomical healthcare costs at the expense of the taxpayers, causing social unrest in addition to unhealthy people. Tell the U.S. Congress to allow all Americans the right to health and also to save money in terms of future healthcare costs by subsidizing health food stores in low-income neighborhoods.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear U.S. Congress,

You are allowing a caste system to prevail in this country in regards to health. By not recognizing that people in high income brackets have countless healthy food options available to them and those with low incomes only have only fast food and low quality grocers in their neighborhoods, you are turning a blind eye to a gross injustice.

It’s common sense that access to healthy food is an essential factor in being healthy. By allowing so many hard-working Americans to only have unhealthy food options available in their neighborhoods, you are showing that only the rich deserve the right to eat healthy. Not only is this prejudiced, but it is going to be more costly in the long run since an unhealthy society will incur large healthcare costs.

Show each American that he or she has a right to a healthy life by subsidizing health food stores in low-income neighborhoods.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: dontgetmewrong.org

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